Fate of Jews in Soviet Union Discussed at Two-day W. J. C. Parley

March 26, 1958

AMSTERDAM (Mar. 25)

An urgent appeal to the Soviet Union to return to its Jewish citizens their freedom of religious and cultural institutions was voiced here at a meeting of the European executive of the World Jewish Congress. The delegates from eleven countries on the Continent and North Africa expressed their concern for the situation of the 3,000,000 Soviet Jews. Among the delegates were two from the recently-affiliated Jewish community of Communist Hungary.

The executive resolved unanimously to send a WJC delegation to Warsaw to participate in the forthcoming 15th anniversary observances of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. An invitation to attend had been forwarded by the Cultural and Social Association of Polish Jews, the official Jewish organization of Poland.

Dr. G. M. Riegner, Congress coordination director, pointing out that representatives of the Hungarian Jewish community were present, emphasized that this proved there was no underlying principles preventing the Jews of other Eastern European communities from similarly getting together with Jews from Western communities to discuss specifically Jewish questions. He stressed that the WJC did not take sides in the East-West power struggle.

Reports on recent developments affecting the status of Jews in Morocco and Tunisia were presented. It was disclosed that A. L. Easterman, political director of the Congress, was proceeding to Morocco to continue negotiations with members of the government of Premier Si Bekkai on matters of urgent concern to the Jews of that country.

Congress leaders stressed that emerging Arab nationalism in North Africa had presented Jews there with new problems, particularly in the economic sphere. However, early apprehension about the safety of Jews in Morocco and Tunisia seemed unfounded and leaders of the two countries have kept their promises to observe principles of human rights laid down in the UN declaration on that subject.